Breaking Point - Bullied Russia
by Indecisive Shipper
Summary: This is an aph high school AU fanfic, centered around Russia dealing with his problems at school, bullies, and his depressive thoughts. After getting beat up behind school, he meets a new friend who could help him through his bullying. Maybe even stop it completely? Trigger warning: from chapter 2 and on there are suicidal thoughts and self harm. Reviews appreciated!
1. Chapter 1

Breaking Point - Bullied!Russia

Ivan's alarm rang. It was 6:45 A.M. He reached over, slamming it with the palm of his hand. A few minutes later he reluctantly got out of bed, rubbing his eyes as he walked to the bathroom. He had half an hour to get ready before he had to leave and walk to school with his sister.

"Another day.. I bet it will be the same.." He mumbled to himself as he flicked on the light and started to brush his teeth. Ivan stared at his face in the mirror while he did so. He had dark circles under his eyes, his hair was scruffy, and his face overall just looked terrible. He grunted in dissatisfaction, rinsed out his mouth, and grabbed his comb.

After he made himself look better, he started to get dressed. He slid on some faded blue jeans, a worn shirt, and then his jacket and scarf. His clothes were old, and were slightly too small for him, but after his parents had passed away his older sister Katyusha was stuck trying to take care of Ivan and his younger sister Natalya. She worked several jobs and always came home late at night, and the money she made barely got them through the weeks. Long story short, they were poor.

Katyusha gave Ivan and Natalya their scarce lunch for the day and waved them off as they exited their apartment. Ivan held the door open and he and his sister exited the complex. She was wearing her usual dress and stockings with a blue ribbon tied into her hair.

"Were you able to get a new one?" Asked Ivan, pointing at her hair ribbon.

"Yes," She said, smiling at him. "I did some chores for a teacher at school. He gave me some money, so I went to the shop and bought a new one." Ivan returned her smile.

"It looks nice in your hair."

He and his sister made small talk as they arrived at their high school. They entered together, not really having anywhere else to go once they entered the cafeteria. The other kids gathered in groups, talking to each other and eating breakfast, but Natalya and Ivan didn't really have any friends to hang with. So, instead, they stayed by each other. Of course, she was in ninth grade and he was in eleventh, so they had to be separate throughout much of the day. They always waved at each other in the hallways, though, and sometimes confided in each other the details about their school day.

Soon the bell rang and the two had to go to their first period classes. Ivan held onto his backpack, sticking to the sidelines as he tried to get through the other people. He made it to his locker, putting in the combination and opening it. Of course, as soon as it was open, it was slammed shut.

" 'Sup, commie." He heard a familiar voice remark. Of course, Ivan wasn't actually from Russia; he just had a slight accent, considering his family had moved to America only a generation before. Despite that fact, it was still something people liked to pick on him about.

"..Hi Alfred.." He said, trying to put his combination in again, but Alfred's hand rested firmly on his locker door. Obviously he wanted something.

"So, do you have any money today, or do I have to beat you again?" He said, giving the larger boy a smirk. Ivan may have been bigger, but he didn't like to fight. So he was made an easy target.

"I never have money for you." He said, ignoring the remark about getting beat up.

"Ah, that's too bad, man!" Alfred said, leaning his back against the locker and sighing. "I guess me and you have a date after school, huh?" He patted Ivan's back before walking off.

"Don't skip out, dude."

Ivan watched as Alfred made his way down the opposite side of the hall, feeling his mood sink again. He gathered his books from his locker, thinking about what Alfred might do. Last time he had been threatened like this, he was met outside of school by Alfred and a few of his friends. He was left bruised and battered in an alley near the school. He had managed to get home on his own, though Natalya and Katyusha interrogated him about his new bruises. He claimed to have just had an accident, and nothing else was said. His siblings didn't need any more stress, he told himself, so he kept them from the truth.

" _Why do they always pick on me?_ " He wondered to himself, walking to his class.

" _I don't have anything they want.. So why I am the victim? I always try to be nice to others.._ "

He peeked his head into the door of his first class. There were some boys sitting on the desks, girls gossiping and braiding hair. He took his seat in the back the room. He sat there, doodling flowers and cute things on his notebook paper before the teacher arrived and began their lesson.

*A few hours later*

Ivan was finished with his first few classes, and the lunch bell rang. He walked into the cafeteria and sat down at an empty table, pulling out the lunch that Katyusha had packed him. A couple people joined him, but his table mostly remained empty; Matthew, Toris, and Eduard came and sat near him. Matthew was quiet and friendly, but not bullied since he was Alfred's brother. Everyone else at the table had been tormented at least once though, and that brought them together.

"So, how has your day been?" Said Toris, glancing at Ivan and taking a small sip of his milk. Ivan shrugged in response.

"Not much different than usual.. Yours has been the same, yes?" Toris gave him a small nod.

"Asking me for quiz answers as always. I feel sort of rude to refuse them though."

"That happens with me at least ten times a day!" Chimed up Eduard. He was the nerd of the school, or so they called him."It just gets annoying."

"I suppose I don't mind it too much.." Toris responded as he began to eat his food. Matthew just watched and listened to their conversation, occasionally joining in. Thankfully, none of the more popular kids bothered them today. Usually they walked past and uttered an insult, to which none of them really answered to.

After lunch, it was Ivan's study hall period in the library. Toris shared this class with him, along with a few others. Him and Toris usually spent the period chit-chatting while Toris read and Ivan doodled or studied for tests. He walked in and set his bag down at his seat, and Toris sat next to him. Ivan heard him sigh.

"Something is wrong, Toris?" He asked.

"..Oh.. Nothing." Toris gave Ivan a small smile. "It's not a big deal.. It's just that someone took my lunch money again."

"Aren't you going to tell a teacher?"

"You wouldn't tell either, Ivan. We both know that."

"..Well.. I guess not. It isn't like I would have the money to give, anyway."

"Is your family poor?" Ivan felt his cheeks flush at the question. Though it was true, he was still embarrassed about it. People probably assumed that he was anyway, based on his scruffy appearance.

"..Um.. Yeah.. My big sister always has to give me lunch, because I can't afford the school's food."

"Doesn't your dad work?"

"..My father died last year.. Along with my mother.." Toris fell silent for few moments, giving Ivan a sympathetic look.

"Oh.. I'm sorry for asking, Ivan.. I didn't know it was your parents that died."

"It's fine.." He replied softly, no longer feeling in the mood to talk now that he had been reminded of his parents. They hadn't exactly been a happy family as Ivan was abused, but he still missed them. He would rather still be abused then be in the situation he was now. He hated seeing his older sister come home exhausted. She always had a smile on her face though, and always encouraged him and his sister.

Another couple hours later, Ivan's anxiety was going crazy as the dismissal bell rang. He knew what he had coming to him, and he certainly wasn't looking forward to it; though he didn't really have a choice.

" _I could just ignore them and take another way home.."_ He thought to himself, but soon dismissed it. If he didn't put up with this today, Alfred and his friends would probably get back at him in a worse (and probably more humiliating) way.

So, he slung his bag over his shoulders, took deep breaths, and prepared for the worst as he slowly made his way to the back exit of the building. When he opened the double doors, as he expected, Alfred and his two friends Gilbert and Mathias were leaning against the brick wall. Waiting for him.

"Glad to see ya could make it," said Mathias, and the three got up to surround Ivan.

"We had a pretty good time before, right?" Gilbert pushed Ivan against the wall, and Alfred threw his backpack to the ground.

"This all coulda been avoided if you just gave me your money, commie." Ivan received a swift punch to his side.

"I told you I didn't have any!" Ivan exclaimed, though it was no use.

"He's probably just lying so that we'll stop beating his ass." The trio continued to beat him, and when he had finally been forced to the ground again, Gilbert grabbed Ivan by his hair and pulled his head up to be viewed by the other two.

"He actually looks a little better this way." Mathias gave Ivan a kick to his ribs while they checked his pockets and backpack for his wallet.

"Pft, wow." Said Alfred, resting his hand on his hip as he dumped the contents of Ivan's backpack onto the ground. Ivan didn't even have a wallet.

"I guess you weren't lying. You really are poorer than I thought. That's pretty pathetic, dude." Gilbert let go of his hair and stood up. Ivan looked up as the three of them began to walk off, laughing about what they had done.

He just laid there, curled up in a ball on the concrete. There were a few blood stains from where Ivan's lip had been busted open. His whole body ached all over; he had really gotten it bad this time. He attempted to sit up and was met with a sharp pain in his ribs from where Mathias had kicked him.

" _I really hope I don't need to go to the hospital.._ "

Ivan's head turned to look towards the double doors as he heard them open. " _This is the worst possible time for someone to come out here!"_

A student walked out, someone in the grade above Ivan. He was twirling some car keys around his finger, presumably about to drive home, when he saw him lying on the ground. His eyes immediately widened and he ran over.

"My god! What happened to you?" He exclaimed, pulling Ivan up and resting him against the wall.

"You look like you've been-" The blonde looked over to see Ivan's belongings spilled all over the ground.

"..Don't worry about me.." He said softly, giving a weak smile and putting his hand against the brick wall to try and hold himself up. The guy supported him and then knelt down to help pick up his things.

"The students here are such savages.. I don't see why they have to beat up innocent people." Soon he had all the stuff zipped back into his backpack and stood up. "Would you like some help?"

"No, I've got it. Thank you.." Ivan reached over and strapped his bag over his shoulders, wincing at the extra weight it put on him. He touched his lip gently, checking to see if it was still bleeding.

"My name is Francis, by the way."

"I'm Ivan."

"So, why did they beat up a charming boy like you?" He said, pulling a napkin out of his pocket and dabbing at the blood on Ivan's cut lip.

"I did not have any money to give them." The older boy made a small "tsk" noise.

"So immature they are. They have no idea how to treat other human beings. It makes me want to slap them upside their heads." Ivan gave him a small smile.

"Well, thank you for helping me.. I'm used to it by now, so I would've been okay on my own, though." Ivan replied. His body still hurt all over, and he knew he would have a lot more bruises to cover up.

" _Maybe this guy could be a new friend? He actually seems nice!"_

"If anything like this happens again, try and find me." Said Francis. "I'll surely protect you."

With a wink, the older teen walked off towards the school parking lot. Ivan gazed after him. He had never really thought of anything special about that guy before, except for the fact that he seemed like a princely character, always having at least one girl on his arm. Ivan composed himself for a little while longer before getting the strength to walk home by himself. He'd cover up the busted lip with another story, as he always did.

CHAPTER 1 END


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

*WARNING: Chapter contains self harm!*

After Ivan's ordeal at school, he once again had walked the blocks back to his apartment complex.

" _I wonder how many times I will have to go through this.._ " He thought, sighing as he climbed the stairs up to his door and dug through his pocket for the key. He managed to fish it out and jammed it into the lock, swinging the door open. He was immediately greeted with a hug from his older sister.

"Oh, Ivan! I'm so glad you're home! I was worried about you!" Katyusha said frantically. She nearly looked like she would burst out in tears.

"Huh..? What time is it?" He asked, weakly wrapping an arm around her. Her tight grip was making his ribs ache.

"It's past 4:00." Finally, she pulled away. Ivan was meant to be home around 3:30, usually arriving at the same time as Natalya.

"Oh.. Sorry, sister. I didn't mean to make you worry.."

"Where were you all this time? Natalya went down the road looking for you. I'll have to find her and tell her to come back in.."

"Well.. I.." He looked down and thought for a few moments, feeling his cheeks heat up slightly. Come on, a good excuse.. "I actually just got held up at school for a while."

"Alright.. That makes me feel a lot better." She seemed to be relieved, until she noticed the cut on his lip. She immediately stood on her toes and brushed a finger across it.

"Where did this come from, though..?"

"Oh.. erm.." Ivan hadn't really made up an excuse for that one. It had already slipped from his mind. He had the potential for getting distracted quite easily, which was probably why he made only C's in school.

'That's nothing. Don't worry about it." He reached up and took her hand away from it, then quickly gave her a smile and changed subject.

"Why don't we go look for Natalya now?"

Soon after Ivan and Katyusha had found Natalya, they had dinner together. He and his younger sister talked about their school day, while Katyusha smiled and listened. Once they had all finished, Ivan retreated to his room and flopped onto his bed. He had been laying there for quite some time now, finishing all of his extra schoolwork. Finally, he gave out an exhausted sigh and shut his literature book, sliding it to the corner of his bed. He turned onto his back, resting his body while staring at the ceiling and thinking to himself.

" _I guess today wasn't so different from the others. All my classes were sorta boring, except for the ones I have a couple friends in. They always make things a little better."_ He propped himself up on the headboard of his bed.

" _I should see what all they did to me.."_ Sliding off his bed, he went over to a long mirror that was hanging by a thread on his wall. He then slowly pulled off his shirt.

" _That looks bad."_ Were the first words that came to mind.

All the way down his sides, small to medium purple spots were forming. He also had some on his stomach, lower back, and shoulder blades. There was a particularly big, yellowish bruise located on his ribs. That one hurt the most, or so he had found out.

" _I wonder why they beat me up like this.. I haven't done anything to them, except maybe not have any money to give."_ Ivan went and sat down on the edge of his bed.

" _Is that the problem? Just me? ..Is there something wrong with me? That must be it, since I don't see it."_ He glanced at his mirror again. " _Is it my looks? How I act? My personality? ..All of them? I wonder how many others don't like me.."_

Once again, Ivan caught himself staring in front of the mirror. Looking himself over. Searching for imperfections. He moved his fingers over his large nose, which was quite obviously Russian. Then to his dark eyebrows. Then his jaw line. He had mostly clear skin, but now what ever acne he had, was automatically pointed out by his mind. His self esteem sunk lower, and he made a troubled face. He tilted up his neck, rubbing his hand over his ugly network of scars. Ivan had gotten those when he was young.

" _Now that I look closer.. I do look bad. It seems that no matter how hard I try.."_ A warm tear rolled down his cheek as he started to break down. _"..No one ever likes me for it. I'm always picked on, though I always try and be nice to others. What's wrong with me?!"_

Ivan was knelt on the floor now, sobbing into his hands. He could feel his throat tightening to the point where he could hardly breathe.

" _Maybe they wouldn't care if I just.. Left. Maybe I should leave. That's why they bully me, right? Because they hate me?"_

He found himself digging through his bedside table's drawer. That's when he spotted his shaving razor. His eyes clouded by tears, he stared at the blades.

" _If everyone hates me.. It shouldn't matter."_

About half an hour later, Ivan was sitting on the floor of the shower, the water running onto his back and hair. He watched with an emotionless face as streams of red colored water flowed down the drain. Thin slits ran across both of his wrists, and he still held the razor in his hand.

" _I'll have to cover these up for a while.. Katyusha and Natalya would see them."_

The next morning, he awoke in bed as his alarm rang. He sat up and found that his whole upper body had a dull ache. He had forgotten about what he had done last night in the shower, until he brushed his wrists on his bed and was met with a pain. Ivan stared at the newly scabbed-over cuts for a while before putting on his clothes and going about his morning routine as usual. When he arrived at school with Natalya, they walked into the cafeteria and leaned against a wall that was away from the crowds.

Ivan couldn't help but feel anxious, after all that he had thought of yesterday. He now felt more insecure about his looks, who he was, how he acted, etc. He wrapped his scarf tighter around his neck and nuzzled half of his face into it, closing his eyes. Some boys had made fun of it for being pink, but Katyusha thought that it was cute. She gave it to him on his twelfth birthday.

"Are you okay, brother?" Asked Natalya, who was looking up at him.

"Hmm?" Ivan's head snapped up. "Oh, yeah. I'm okay."

"You seem nervous.." She said quietly, but didn't pester him further about it, which he was a bit thankful for. He'd never really lied to his sisters before the bullying started, but it was for the good of things, or so he thought.

After breakfast was over, Ivan put his bag over his shoulders and attempted to hang back from the other students, so that no one would come up behind him like Alfred did previously. As he was slowly walking behind the others, staring at the floor, he felt an arm wrap around his shoulders. He looked up, seeing the wavy-haired guy from yesterday; Francis.

"What's the matter, Ivan? You seem a little gloomy, on such a beautiful day." Ivan couldn't help but be a little surprised. Hardly anyone but his sisters noticed when he was acting off.

"I do not think I seem gloomy." He responded, looking at Francis's cerulean blue eyes. "Why do you ask that?"

"Well, I spotted you dragging behind and looking down. You would consider that sad, no?"

"..I guess I would." Ivan gulped. "But I'm doing okay so far.. So don't worry, friend." Francis smiled at him.

"Oh, by the way, my last time is Bonnefoy." He said, stopping and holding his hand out to Ivan. "I never did greet myself properly. How rude of me." Ivan reached out and shook his hand.

"Ivan Braginsky."

"That's a unique name. Russian, right?"

"Right. ..Um, are you French?"

"Why yes, of course. How else would I be so beautiful?" Just for the grandeur, Francis made a small flourish of movement. Ivan could have sworn that he blew a kiss. He chuckled softly at his mannerisms.

"Heh, that is a little fancy, is it not?"

"Why, I'd prefer to be fancy than plain."

Ivan and Francis continued talking in the hallway, occasionally laughing at each other. It wasn't until the bell rang that they remembered they had to be in their classes. Francis waved at him as he went upstairs, and Ivan when to his first period class with a small smile on his face. He liked the thought that he might have been making a new friend. It kind of excited him really, as Lithuania was the only other that he really frequently talked to at school. Even then, there were days that they passed each other in the hallways and didn't say a word.

Even after all his classes, the day had maintained to be pretty okay. His bullies didn't bother him much, besides the usual taunts in the hallways or during class. He tried not to think too much about them. He gathered his things as the bell rang, and met Belarus in front of the school. She was grateful to see him on time today.

As Ivan and Natalya started to walk home, telling each other about what they had done that day, they heard a shout from behind them.

"Ivan!" The two of them turned, looking to see who it was. Francis was running up to meet them, his keys in one hand. Natalya and him waited for the older student to catch up.

"I did not expect to see you after school. Especially with a charming lady~" Natalya just wrapped herself around Ivan's arm protectively.

"This is my younger sister, Natalya. She's in ninth grade." She was already eyeing him up and down.

"Francis Bonnefoy." He said, sticking his hand out again for a proper greeting. "I met your brother not long ago." Natalya hesitantly pulled one of her arms away from Ivan and shook his hand firmly.

"Natalya Braginsky." She said quietly.

"I don't bite, little lady." Francis winked. "Don't be afraid."

They trio stayed silent for a while. Natalya went quiet after that, and Ivan felt a little too awkward too speak. She didn't trust others easily and mainly kept to herself, so making friends was difficult for her.. If she even had any.

"So.. Are you two walking home? The buses have already left.." Ivan nodded.

"We always walk home. It's a few blocks from here."

"Oh, alright." Francis shoved his hands into his pockets and gave the two a sideways glance. "..I could drive you home if you wanted?" Natalya looked up at Ivan, and he at her. They almost seemed to share a brief conversation. Ivan turned back to Francis.

"Yes, that's okay. I'll give you directions." He smiled and led them to his car. It was a bright shade of red, and looked new. Francis unlocked the doors and the two of them got in the backseat. He had an air freshener in that smelled faintly of roses. Ivan and his sister set their bags on the floor, then looked around the vehicle.

"This is a nice car.." said Ivan. " _It would probably take Katyusha years to afford one of these."_

"Why yes, thank you. I've had it for a couple years now, but still looks brand new." The engine started as Francis twisted the keys. They rode out of the parking lot. He looked back at Ivan. "Which way?"

Ivan told Francis how to get to their complex, and after about ten minutes of driving they were there. If him and Natalya had walked, it would have taken thirty. The two were quite impressed by this, since they had never been driven to or from school before. Francis parked by the sidewalk and got out with the two.

"Thank you for the ride."

"No problem."

"Do you want repaid in any way for it..? I can't give money, so.."

"Hmm.." Francis looked around and tapped his scruffy chin. 'How about you take me inside? I'd like to see your apartment."

" _That's a bit of an odd request.."_ Thought Ivan, " _But I did ask, so I guess we can't refuse. Katyusha won't mind."_

"Uh.. Sure. Okay." Natalya held onto her brother's arm as he led his new friend inside. He felt a little embarrassed; this was a low-income apartment, so it wasn't the best quality, though him and his sisters tried to clean it the best they could. He felt himself blushing, thinking Francis would make fun of him, as he unlocked the front door and opened it.

"Welcome home," said Katyusha from the kitchen, "I am making some pie. I thought you two would like it." The three of them entered the kitchen, and Francis was already beaming. Katyusha turned around to see them.

"Oh! You brought a friend?" She rested a hand on her cheek and blushed. "I'm Katyusha, Ivan and Natalya's older sister. I'm sorry it's such a mess in here!""

"No need to apologize. Your apartment feels nice and homely." He said, sniffing the air. It smelled of the apple pie Katyusha was baking.

"This is my friend Francis." Ivan said quietly. "He drove us home and wanted to see the apartment."

"Nice to meet you Francis! Aren't you cute?" She said, smiling at the boy. Francis took her hand and kissed it.

"Very nice to meet you as well. Ivan didn't tell me he had a charming older sister." The older woman giggled.

"This is a nice friend you have, Ivan. Why don't you all sit down in the living room? The pie will be done in just a few minutes." The trio nodded and walked into the next room. Natalya and Francis sat on either side of Ivan.

"Well, your other sister seems nice, Ivan." remarked Francis, looking at the decor.

"Yes, she is. She has always been very good to me and Natalya."

"I see.. I only have a younger brother. He should be in your grade, yes? His name is Matthew."

"Oh! I know Matthew! He sits with me at lunch sometimes."

Francis and Ivan started chatting, and Natalya just crossed her arms and listened in. As the minutes passed by, Katyusha finally came out of the kitchen, carrying several plates with a slice of pie on each of them. She set them down on the coffee table.

"I hope it tastes good. I haven't cooked anything like it in a while."

"Thanks, Katyusha."

CHAPTER 2 END


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

Ivan and the others sat around in the living room, eating the pie Katyusha had made and getting to know each other. Of course, Ivan's older sister and Francis were (or at least seemed to be) very talkative. Natalya on the other hand, mostly shot looks at Francis and then excused herself to go to her room. Ivan was almost worried, but he knew that Natalya didn't really talk to anyone but her siblings. He decided he would talk to her later on, when Francis left.

"So, Ivan.. What does your room look like? Now that we've all finished eating, if you don't mind I'd like to see it." Hearing his name, Ivan looked up.

"Eh?"

"Your room. Can I see it?" said Francis, tilting his head slightly.

"Oh.. Um.." He thought back to how clean his room was last time he had been in it. There were some clothes on the floor, and his desk was a little messy, but it should be okay. "Yeah.. Sure. Follow me."

Ivan set his empty plate on the coffee table and led Francis down a small hallway to his room. The doorknob squeaked as he opened the door and welcomed his new friend in. Francis slowly looked around as Ivan shut the door.

"It's sort of small.." He said, eyeing some of the clothes on the floor. "But it feels nice in here."

Before Katyusha, Natalya, and Ivan had moved into the apartment, Ivan's room had belonged to a girl. One of the walls was painted a lighter shade of yellow, and the rest were lavender. Ivan decided that he had liked the warm feel of the room, and they never repainted it. Natalya's room was actually painted navy blue, since she got the boy's room.

"Yes.. I like it that way. I'm sorry its messy, though." Ivan went and set on his bed, staring at Francis. He sat down next to him.

"My room isn't clean sometimes. It's okay."

The two of them went silent for a while. Francis continued eyeing his room, and Ivan just twiddled his thumbs. He was nervous of the impression he was making and thought,

" _I bet Francis lives in a nice, fancy house. Mine probably looks stupid compared to his.."_ He sighed and looked over. He was going to say something, he didn't know what exactly, but Francis cut him off.

"Hey, Ivan.. Do you think I could spend the night with you? I'm sure my mom wouldn't mind."

"Huh?" He tilted his head. Did he just ask to stay here? With him?

"Well.. I'm just wondering if I could stay the night. It would be fun." Francis smiled.

"Oh.. Um.. ..I guess I can ask Katyusha about it.." He didn't know how she would react, since he had never had a friend over before. He never got close enough to someone to ask. " _I guess he's just trying to be nice to me."_

He got up and walked to the kitchen, where his older sister was most likely tidying up. He peeked his head around the corner and saw her.

"Hey, Katyusha..?" He walked looked up at him and smiled while cleaning some crumbs off the counter.

"Yes, brat*?"

"Francis was wondering if he could stay here for the night. He said his mom wouldn't mind."

"Hmm.. Well, have you done your homework, Ivan? It is a school day."

"I can do it right now!" He said, getting a little excited. Would she say yes?

"Alright, then.. Just don't roughhouse, okay? We don't need one of you getting hurt."

"Thanks, Katyusha~" He quickly gave his sister a hug, then went back to his room. Francis looked at him.

"Well?"

"She said yes, but I have to do my homework." Ivan grabbed his bag, which was resting by his door, then brought it over to his desk. He pulled out some books and papers and laid them out.

"Are you having trouble in your classes? That looks like a lot of extra work." said Francis, who came up behind him and peered down at the papers.

"Um.. Well, some of it is late classwork. Sometimes I can't catch up with the rest of class.."

"I can help you. Just let me call my mother and tell her where I am." Francis winked and pulled out a touch screen phone. He dialed some numbers, then went out into the hallway, shutting Ivan's door behind him.

As Francis chatted on the phone with his mom, telling her where he had been and that he was spending the night here, Natalya crept out of her room quietly. She walked up to him whilst he was turned around, waiting. When he finally shut off his phone and stuffed it back into his pocket, she suddenly pushed him against the wall before he could open Ivan's door.

"N-Natalya?" He said, looking down at her. "You scared me, haha-"

"Shut up." She growled, pressing her forearm against his throat. He made a muffled sound and gulped.

"What are you doi-" He began to say, only to be cut off again.

"You'd better not be messing around with my brother, got it? I do not fall for your pretty-boy outside. He is fragile. If you hurt him, even only a little, I will take care of you myself." Her icy eyes glared into Francis's, and he slowly nodded.

"..I understand.."

"Good." She stepped back a ways and looked at him again before going back into her room. Francis composed himself and opened Ivan's door.

"What was that noise outside?" Asked Ivan, who had started on his work.

"Oh, well.. That was nothing. I just tripped is all. Clumsy, right?" He softly chuckled to himself and went to Ivan's side. "Lets just start on your work, hmm? My mom didn't care."

About an hour and a half later, Ivan was done with his homework after Francis had helped him out. He had been through pretty much all the courses previously, so he knew the material already.

"Wow.. I got it done quick with you helping me.." said Ivan, who was stuffing his papers into his books. Francis waved his hand in dismissal.

"No problem. Now we can have fun. What do you usually do here?" He flopped onto the bed, and Ivan laid next to him.

"Well.. I mostly just do homework, shower, nap, and sometimes talk to my sisters."

"That would get boring, no?"

"Yeah, I guess so. But I don't really have anything else to do." A thought popped into Ivan's mind, just as he said those words.

" _Except get sad."_

"Don't you have any other friends you can talk to? Besides me, of course~" Francis did a small hair flip.

"Not really.. I do talk to Toris at school but not outside of that. I don't have a phone or anything."

"Why not? Your parents must make enough money to at least afford a cheap one."

'..That's the thing.. My parents aren't around anymore, so my big sister makes just enough money to get by."

"I see.. I thought that it was odd, that no one was home except for her. Sorry for mentioning it, Ivan."

"Its okay.. It was because she got off of work for a little while, but she should be going back soon. She works a few different jobs."

"What a poor thing. She must come home so tired."

"Yes. She almost always goes to sleep immediately." Francis shook his head and grabbed a pillow, resting on it.

"So.. Aren't you hot? You still have your jacket and scarf on."

"Oh.. Well, I guess I'm a little warm.." Ivan didn't move to take the garments off, however; they were both hiding something. His scarf, the embarrassingly large scars on his neck. His jacket, the cuts he had made yesterday. Ivan came to a realization.

" _I forgot about those! How am I supposed to keep them hidden, with Francis here? He'll surely see them at some point.. How could I have been so forgetful?"_

"Why don't you take some of it off , then?"

"Um.. It's not too hot, so I don't have to just yet." Another lie. He was actually beginning to sweat underneath all his clothes. Francis raised an eyebrow.

"Alright, whatever you say." They both went silent. Ivan looked down.

" _Francis probably thinks I'm weird.. I wonder if he will stop liking me after he stays here. Does he even likes me at all? I mean, maybe he just pities me and wants to be friendly.. That sounds pretty likely. Considering other people don't like me much.."_

"Hey, Ivan? _"_ Francis's voice brought him out of his thoughts. "Would I be able to take a shower here?"

"Sure.. But, er.. What are you going to change into?"

"Oh, I forgot about that.. I guess I'll text Matt and tell him to bring me some clothes." He pulled out his phone again and tapped on the screen for a minute or two, then shut it off and slid it back into his pocket. "He said he'll be here soon. What do you want to do in the mean time?"

"Hm.." Ivan rolled onto his side and thought. There wasn't much to do here, like Ivan said. "We could just talk. I don't know you all that well."

"Oh.. Alright. Lets start off with something basic.. What's your favorite color?"

"I'm not sure.. But I like pastel colors. They're soft and warm."

"I like red, because I see it as the color of passion and love. How about your favorite activity?"

"I just like being with my friends."

"That's nice of you. I like gardening, cooking, a lot of things.."

Francis and Ivan began to talk about simple things, learning about each other until Matthew arrived outside and gave Francis his clothes. He took his shower and changed in the bathroom. It was Ivan's turn now. He entered the bathroom, taking off his scarf, jacket, and shirt and piling them on the glanced at himself in the mirror, and once again noticed the red lines covering his wrists. They stood out so much from his pale skin.. And after his shower he would have to go back into his room and get clothes, right? That's where Francis was... Ivan sighed and slid off the rest of his clothes, stepping into the shower and turning on the water.

" _Maybe I shouldn't have done that.. These cuts seem to be coming more of a problem.. They're also sore."_ He washed his hair and body and turned the water back off, stepping out and grabbing a towel. He wrapped it around his waist and sighed. Unless he wanted to spend the night naked in the bathroom, he would have to just try and cover them up as best as he could. Ivan wrapped the towel around his waist and grabbed his clothes off the floor, dropping everything but his scarf and jacket into the laundry basket as he walked back to his room.

Ivan cautiously opened his door, trying to awkwardly keep his arms plastered to his sides. Francis looked back at him.

"Hey, I hope you don't mind, but I found a photo album under your bed and started looking through it. You were cute when you were younger." Francis gave him a cheeky smile.

"Oh, uh.. Thanks." His cheeks flushed a light shade of pink as he went over to his dresser to get his clothes for the night. He didn't get a lot of compliments. He opened his drawer and started shifting around some clothes.

Little did he know, Francis wasn't looking at the photo album anymore. It was open in front of him, but his eyes were on Ivan, staring at him. He had numerous scars along his back; most of which looked like he had gotten whipped at some point. Then his eyes drifted to more of Ivan's body, and he noticed something clashing against his skin. Was it blood? No.. Little red lines, on his wrist. Ivan moved his arm out of sight just as Francis noticed them.

"Ivan..?"

"Yes? Do you need something?" He turned around, holding a shirt, his pants, and some boxers.

"Do you have something on your arm?" Ivan froze, obviously caught. He turned his wrist towards himself and looked at it.

"No, I don't think s-"

Francis immediately grabbed his hand and pulled Ivan's arm towards him, knowing that he was lying. His face was instantly covered with a look of shock.

"Did you do this to yourself?.." Ivan just went silent in response, biting his lip. He looked at the floor. Francis knew it meant 'yes'. "Why?"

"..I don't know.. I just feel that there is something wrong with me, and that no one cares.. That is why I am bullied, yes? Because I'm disliked and ugly and.. ..me?" The words seemed to spill out of his mouth; in all honesty, he just wanted to know if it was true or not. Francis gave him a sympathetic look and stood up.

"No, that isn't right. There is nothing wrong with you, Ivan. You are fine, just as you are." Ivan looked Francis in the eyes, tears forming in his own.

"Then why does it keep happening to me..?" He whispered, starting to cry.

"I don't know.. Its probably just because a lot of people are sick, and get pleasure from hurting others like you. But please, don't think that you don't matter, that you aren't beautiful, or that no one cares for you." Francis wrapped his arms around Ivan as he began to shake.

" _Is he telling the truth?"_

Ivan returned the hug with one arm, holding onto his towel with the other. He buried his head into Francis's shoulder. After a couple minutes, his tears stopped, and he calmed down. He slowly pulled away.

"Don't do it ever again, Ivan." said Francis, "Now, why don't you get dressed?" The other man looked down at himself, realizing that he was naked. ..Well, except for the towel.

"Okay.. Thank you, Francis."

".. _I needed that."_

 _*_ **Brat:** Russian for 'brother'


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

After Ivan and Francis's little 'moment' together, the two of them began talking and got ready for bed. An hour or so later, they both managed to fit each other into Ivan's bed and had began to drift off to sleep. Francis seemed to fall asleep within a few minutes, but the other man couldn't say the same for himself. He rolled around for a while, thinking about the day's events.

" _I didn't expect the day to turn out like this,"_ He thought, " _I mean.. Francis came over, and decided to stay the night here. No one has ever wanted to do that with me before."_ He glanced back at the other blonde, who was sleeping peacefully. His golden hair fell over his face as he slept. He did have some pretty hair..

" _..and what happened earlier.. I don't know what to think about that. Francis seems to genuinely like me. I didn't want him to find out about my cuts.. But he did make me feel a lot better. I guess that I like him, too."_ Ivan smiled as he came to a conclusion.

" _We'll stay friends."_

The next morning, Ivan awoke to his alarm screeching once again. He scurried to shut it off and rubbed his eyes, feeling groggy. He was stretching his arms when he heard a noise behind him, and nearly jumped. He turned around and saw Francis changing out of his pajamas and into his clothes for the day; Ivan had forgot about him being here.

"You scared me, Francis." He mumbled, sliding on some pants. Then he searched through his drawer for a shirt to wear.

"Forget about me already, hmn?" Francis said in a sarcastic tone. "I'm hurt, Ivan."

"You know I do not mean it in a hurtful way." He responded, pulling a shirt over his head.

He couldn't help but smile; it felt nice waking up with someone, even though Francis was up before him.

Ivan headed off to the bathroom after he finished putting his clothes on, along with his jacket and scarf. While in there, he brushed his teeth, combed his hair, and shaved off what little stubble he had. He took glance at his face in the mirror just before he walked out. " _I don't look so bad after all."_

Francis followed Natalya and Ivan into the kitchen, where Katyusha had set out their lunch for the day. She had already left for work. After everyone made sure that they had what they needed and nothing was forgotten, the trio left, locking the door behind them. They all got into Francis's car, since he offered to drive them to school.

When they all arrived in the cafeteria, Francis left to do one thing or another, leaving the two siblings by themselves, how they usually were. Natalya finally looked over at Ivan and opened her mouth; she hadn't said a word all morning. "Did he treat you good?" She asked, a serious look on her face.

"He was never mean to me. Why do you ask, sestra*?" Ivan tilted his head. Where would she get the idea that Francis would treat him badly? He had shown him nothing but kindness so far..

"Because.. He is a popular kid." She said quietly, averting her gaze to the floor. "Why would someone like him, talk to someone like us? He is much better off than us.. I just get the feeling that he is going to do something."

Ivan looked down. He had never thought of it that way before.. But he still didn't think differently than before. If he wanted to do something, wouldn't he have done it already?

"..I do not believe so, Natalya.. I feel that Francis is different than the others. He has been very kind to me, and it has been sincere. It is not fake." He noticed Natalya look away from him.

"Whatever you say, brat."

Ivan's first few classes went along fine, having hardly any hitches at all. He was actually looking up to the rest of the day. His injuries from the days before had begun to heal, and he didn't ache nearly as much as he was before. Of course, that bruise on his ribs was still sensitive to the touch. He was in gym class when the lunch bell rang; they had been playing basketball, which he wasn't that great at, but it did help to be tall.

He carried his school bag into the cafeteria and set it down at the table he usually sat at. After that was done, he left the lunch room and entered the hallway, stopping at his locker to get the lunch Katyusha had packed him. He couldn't carry it in his bag, since it would get crushed by his books. Ivan was spinning in the combination, when he heard a snicker behind him.

"Oh, if it isn't the communist." Said the voice, "Haven't messed with you in a while, have we?"

His heart almost froze. Yep, that was who he thought it was.. Alfred and his crew. Frowning, he slowly straightened up and turned around.

" _This isn't good.. I must have took too long getting to the cafeteria. The hallway's empty, and the teachers are probably on break.."_

As soon as he faced them, the boys made a semicircle around the Russian. Ivan gulped.

"Missed us?" Mathias asked, wearing a grin. "We have a gift for you today. Take it as a 'welcome back' present." Gilbert grabbed Ivan's shoulder and pushed him down the hallway.

"Come on now, Ivan." Alfred said into the taller man's ear, "It would be rude not to see what we got you."

"Um, Alfred, if we do not get to the lunch room we will miss our food.." Ivan said, trying to get out of the situation. He really didn't want to follow them, but what else could he do? No one else was around..

"Don't worry, bro. I already ate."

" _Looks like I don't have a choice in this.."_ He thought, giving up. He sighed and followed the trio's lead. To his surprise, they all entered the male bathroom near the cafeteria. It too was empty, considering everyone else was in class and the students in his grade were all focusing on their food.

Ivan felt a rough hand push him into the larger stall at the end of the bathroom. The three of his bullies entered, and locked the door behind them. Mathias cracked his knuckles.

"Be easy on him, Matt. We can't have him scream."

Alfred and Gilbert grabbed Ivan's arms, pressing them against the wall.

" _What am I going to do?! I don't want this again! I don't know how long I can keep hiding these bruises..!"_ His breath quickened as panic started setting in. Maybe he could fight them off, or get out of it some how? Testing his strength, he tried to lift his arms off of the wall; no use. They had two hands on each of his arms, more than he could fight off. He wanted to yell for help, but he knew he'd either be gagged or have it worse.

He was suddenly knocked out of his thoughts as Mathias punched him in the face. He immediately felt some blood pooling in his mouth and coughed, seeing red splatter on the floor. The next punch was under his ribs, then where he got kicked last time. Ivan felt a searing pain go up his side and cried out, feeling like throwing up already.

"Please, just leave me alone.." He mumbled, his cheek already becoming swollen. His answer was just a laugh.

"Can't take it, loser?" Asked the other blonde, "How pathetic.. just like your whole family." Ivan hung his head.

" _That isn't true.. My sisters aren't, at least. I do not know if I can say the same for me. Is it normal to take beatings like this?"_

"They are not pathetic.." The teen said under his breath, trying not to cough from the pain in his ribs.

"What was that?"

"I said, they are not pathetic." Mathias gave him a look, as if surprised Ivan actually said something back. Then a smirk formed on his lips. He reached over and took a handful of Ivan's hair, making the other boy look him in he eyes.

"Don't talk back, asshole."

Just then, a squeal rang throughout the room as the bathroom door was pushed open, then thudded as it shut. Footsteps walked to one of the sinks, and water was turned on.

"Shit!" Gilbert said in an angry mumble.

Mathias clasped his hand over Ivan's mouth.

"Don't you say a word, or I'll make sure you regret it!"

Ivan nodded, and a few moments passed. Off turned the water, and you could hear someone drying their hands. The footsteps began walking back towards the door.

" _No! Please come back!"_ He begged mentally. They could be his chance at escape, if only he could make some sort of noise!

Thankfully, his silent pleads were answered; just as he thought hope was lost, the footsteps came back! In fact, they walked straight to the door of the stall the four of them were in. A few seconds later, the door was kicked open. The shoddy lock didn't stand a chance.

It was Francis. The long haired blonde observed the scene before him with a look of surprise and disgust. Two boys holding down Ivan, while the other was looming over him with a hand over his mouth. There was no way Mathias, Alfred, and Gilbert could talk their way out of this one.

" _ALFRED!"_ Shrieked the other man, rage in his eyes. "My own brother, bullying someone!? All three of you, get out here!" He immediately felt his arms being released as the three of his bullies exited the stall. Wait... Brother? Francis was Alfred's older brother? It must've been true, because he heard Alfred utter a quiet swear.

"Bro, I can explain-" Started Alfred, who obviously knew he had been caught.

"You're the one who's been bullying Ivan, aren't you?" Yelled Francis, ignoring his brother's pitiful excuse. "When mother finds out about this.."

"It doesn't matter if mom finds out! You think I care?!" Retorted his younger brother, "I live with dad anyway! Why do you think I have his stupid last name, instead of mom's?"

That must be why Ivan never saw the connection between the three of them. Alfred's last name was Kirkland, which must be his father's last name. Matthew and Francis's last name was Bonnefoy. Were their parents divorced? Now that Ivan knew, Alfred and Matthew did look pretty similar..

"Just get out." Francis said, shaking with anger. "Get out! You and your friends! I can't believe I'm even related to such a nasty person like you!" Alfred made a face and balled his hands into fists.

"Fine." Walking towards the door, Mathias and Gilbert followed behind him. They had been silent the whole time. "I hate you, Francis. I hate you, Matthew, and mom."

Francis stared as the three of them left the bathroom. A few seconds later, he let out a sigh, and turned to face Ivan. He walked over and helped the boy up; he had slid down to the floor, and was holding his chest in pain.

"I'm terribly sorry for what they've done to you." The older boy mumbled, "I had no idea he was the one doing this.."

"It is not your fault, Francis."

"I still cannot believe him.. Come on, Ivan. We're telling the principle." Francis began walking back towards the door.

"Principle?" Ivan stopped in his tracks and grabbed Francis's wrist.

"Yes, of course. Those three delinquents need to be punished! You can't take anymore of this."

"I am not telling anyone." He said firmly, still stuck in his place. The other male tried to pull his wrist away. "Natalya and Katyusha do not need anything else to worry about. I will be fin-"

"No you won't, Ivan!" Managing to get his wrist out of Ivan's grip, the blonde turned towards him. "Your sisters will have more to worry about if you come home from school every day with bruises! Please, just come to the office with me. We have to take care of this!"

" _I guess he is right... Katyusha or Natalya will see my swollen cheek today, and I won't have another excuse for it anyway.. I guess they would find out eventually."_

"..Okay." Ivan murmured softly, and the two walked out of the bathroom and into the main office. The principle was busy with another issue, so he and Francis sat in from chairs that were lined up along the wall.

"So what all did they do to you in there?" Asked Francis, who was giving Ivan a sympathetic look.

"..I just got punched a few times.. My mouth is bleeding, but my ribs hurt the most.. I'll be okay, though. Thank you for.. Um.. Saving me, Francis." The other man gave him a warm smile.

"They were the ones who did it to you the first time I saw you, right?"

"Yeah.. They told me to meet them behind the school."

Francis shook his head in disappointment. "I just can't believe it was Alfred.. We never got along, but I didn't think he was actually bad."

"So.. You, Matthew, and him are all brothers..? I didn't know."

"Yes, it's true. Our parents got divorced when we were all young.. 8 years ago, I'd say it was. Matthew and I went with our mother Marianne, and Alfred chose to go with Arthur.. our father. He didn't do so well after the divorce and began drinking, the last I heard." Francis sighed. "Maybe that's why Alfred is acting out like this.. I might've been too harsh with him, but he still deserves to be punished."

A few minutes later, the principle was free to see them. Francis and Ivan sat down in his office and told him the whole story, with mainly Ivan who was talking. He told of how Alfred, Mathias, and Gilbert had been harassing him and several other students for some time now, but that he mainly received the brunt of it. Soon, a group of kids had been called down; Toris, Eduard, and the three bullies. The two other victims confirmed Ivan's story.

Not too long after that, Francis, Ivan, Toris, and Eduard were free to go back to their classes. Gilbert, Mathias, and Alfred however, were held back in the office as they were served their punishments. They all stopped outside the office to discuss what had happened.

"So you told someone, Ivan?" Asked Toris, "That was really brave.. I was always too nervous to tell a teacher or my parents." Ivan rubbed the back of his neck, letting out a small laugh.

"I would be thanking Francis, yes? He was the one who found me. I would not have told if he didn't convince me."

"It's no problem." said the Frenchman, "If you ever need my help again, don't hesitate to ask me!" He flipped his golden locks with his hand.

"I'm just glad they're finally getting what they deserved." Eduard said, "At least I won't have to give them answers for tests everyday now. They always threatened that they'd beat me up if I didn't."

"I do not believe we will have to be worrying about them anymore. Maybe they will straighten out after this." Ivan said in a hopeful tone. "Things will get better."

" _This is what I was hoping for.. I told myself I would endure it until the end, hoping for a brighter ending.. Maybe this is the ending I was waiting for?"_ He glanced at Francis. It all turned out this way because of him, right? He was the one who helped Ivan out of this.

" _Maybe he's who I was waiting for."_

* **Sestra:** Russian for 'sister',


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

Nearly two weeks had passed since Alfred, Mathias, and Gilbert were confronted about their bullying. Once Alfred's dad had found out, Francis said, he began to realize that his actions may have been affecting the boy. He began to straighten himself out and take responsibility, drinking less and less. Alfred's attitude started to improve majorly; he regarded Ivan and his friends in a more friendly manner, and hadn't said one rude comment since. Though Ivan didn't know how Mathias and Gilbert's parents reacted, the three of his former bullies had approached him at school and actually.. Apologized. Though he still held a little grudge against them for the pain they had caused, he gladly accepted the apology.

Ivan himself had become even more of a cheerful person. Usually he was stressed out by his bullies, worrying about when they may come after him next, or whether he deserved the beatings; since it had stopped, he was free to truly be himself. He still got teased every once in a while by other boys, but it didn't affect him nearly as much as it used to. The same went for Eduard and Toris. Ivan had noticed that Toris wasn't nearly as nervous as he used to be. The poor kid used to shake, he was so anxious.

When his sisters found out about his ordeals, Natalya was furious and Katyusha was so worried she ending up bursting into tears. They both fawned over him, asking why he hadn't told them, if he was okay, and saying that they loved him very much. Ivan actually had to hold Natalya back in the cafeteria the next day; she almost leapt onto Alfred. Though she was only armed with a plastic fork, Ivan didn't want to see what would've happened if she hadn't been restrained.

Then came Francis. He and Ivan had begun to draw closer to each other ever since that day almost two weeks ago; well, Ivan had been, at least. He wasn't sure how Francis felt for him, but the man had been questioning: Was he in love? He followed the Frenchman around like a lost puppy, and they had become good friends in such a short amount of time. Francis didn't even push the other away, or try to back off. That made Ivan happy. You could say he had developed a little crush for his "hero". Even Natalya began to warm up to him a bit, since he had helped her brother.

It was Wednesday. Ivan was at school, sitting in the cafeteria. He was chatting with Toris, Matthew, and Eduard while he ate his lunch. Today, a smaller kid had joined them; he was a ninth grader named Ralvis, and was apparently one of Toris's friends. He was shy, and didn't talk much, but Ivan didn't mind it. The more people, the merrier. They all made idle conversation, talking about each other's day or their classes. Ivan was just about to take a sip of his milk (which the school provided), when he felt a pair of hands on his shoulders. He nearly jumped out of his skin, almost thinking it was Alfred once more. However, when he turned to see who it was, a particular blonde-haired man was standing there.

"Bonjour, Ivan~" He purred, taking a seat next to the man. Ivan instantly smiled.

"Hello, Francis. What are you doing at my lunch?"

"Well, I have only a few minutes to myself, so.. I thought I would come and talk to you." Ivan didn't question the flimsy response.

"Oh. That is okay." He said, welcoming Francis to the table.

"In fact, I have a question to ask you." Toris, Eduard, Ralvis, and especially Matthew went silent as they began to focus on Francis and Ivan's talk.

"Hm?" Ivan hummed, turning towards the other man. He didn't notice how the others went quiet.

Francis slid off of the seat, kneeling to the floor on one knee, as if he were proposing.

"Eh-? What are you doing, Fran-?"

"Ivan," he began, cutting the Russian off, "I have been thinking lately, and I have come to the conclusion that I.. Well.." Even he, the most flamboyant person Ivan knew, seemed flustered. What was he going to say? Ivan's heart beat quickened. "I love you, Ivan. I have been attracted to you since I first laid eyes on you outside of school. Please, will I have the honor of dating you?" Francis held out a hand, the other resting on his chest dramatically. You could almost see the sparkles around him. Not to mention, he had said it fairly loud; the two had garnered quite a bit of attention from the other students.

Ivan's lips parted in surprise. Francis was asking him to date? He did seem rather sincere about it.. With all the dramatic movements and wording. It was almost like a play. He looked into Francis's cerulean eyes and smiled. There was no way he could refuse. The older boy had done so much for him already.

"Yes." He said, before quickly getting out of his seat and tightly bear hugging the Frenchman. The wavy-haired blonde yelped and patted Ivan's back, nearly gasping for air.

"E-ease up, Ivan!"

While Francis and Ivan caused a scene in the middle of the cafeteria, the four others at the table looked at each other in confusion.

"Ivan's a homo?" Eduard asked slowly, looking at Toris. The other teen shrugged.

"Well, I guess so." The two glanced over as they heard Matthew giggle.

"Heheh, that's my big bro." He said, looking at the two "love birds" fondly.

"He's _your_ brother?!" Yelped Eduard, who was obviously caught off guard.

"Yep. Alfred's my twin." This time, both Toris and Eduard exclaimed,

" _He's your brother?!"_

EPILOGUE

After Ivan and Francis began dating, they both faced the challenge of telling their parents; well, for Ivan, it was his sisters. Francis simply waved it off, saying his mother was an avid supporter of gays and love equality. Ivan wasn't too worried about his sisters accepting him, but he was worried about how Natalya would act, with her over-protective ways. As it turned out, she acted much calmer than he expected. She simply gave him a warning, of not to let himself get hurt. He promised that he wouldn't.

The two of them were very happy together, always seen walking next to each other in the halls, outside of school, and at each other's houses. Ivan's mood was miles better; he couldn't believe how much things had changed ever since he met Francis. Most of his stress was practically gone, and now all he had left to worry about were his grades. Francis even helped him with those, too.

Ivan gained some new friends in the process as well, which he liked. He and Matthew bonded some more, which they had never done before he and Francis had started dating. He had thought about trying to become riends with Alfred after another week or two. Maybe even Gilbert and Mathias, too. He always enjoyed the idea of having lots of friends.

Before they knew it, a year had passed. Francis graduated from school, and Ivan was entering his last year. They both had fallen deeply in love with each other in the months past. They were very affectionate with each other, and not afraid to show it. Ivan especially. Katyusha often picked on him, asking when the two would be having their wedding. He laughed it off, and assured that it wouldn't be for a while.

However, little to Ivan's knowledge, a wedding may have been coming up sooner than he thought.

Francis thanked the woman at the jewelry counter, walking out with a small, velvet box in his hand. Once he made it back out to his car and sat down in the driver's seat, he opened the box, revealing a large, silver, diamond-studded ring. He let out a sigh, a small smile forming across his scruffy lips. It had cost a few hundred dollars, about a week's pay for him, but it was worth it. Now he only had to find the right setting to propose to Ivan; that was the real challenge.

He set the box aside, starting up his car engine. He had to admit, he was excited for the future the two of them would have together. So excited, he almost wanted to drive straight to Ivan's apartment and propose to him at his doorstep. He would figure it out sooner or later.

END


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